Feeding mechanism



Patented Jan.. 9, 1923.

r rares Partnr rinoi Gnonofn FLETCHER nner, or ivnw YORK, n. Y., Assienon Yro Joni. HUET, our

GEORGIA'.

' 'rniinnve iuncnnnisivr.

specification, reference being; had therein to' the accompanying drawing. i

rllhis invention relatestoffeeding mechanism for handling loose material and delivering the same in controllable quantity, the invention being more particularlyl con-y i oerned withk the feeding of such materials as stone, coal and the like, to grinding` or pulverizing mills, although the invention is not limited to such specialapplication; j

ln Athe feeding of material to machines of the character mentioned, in order-l to obtain the best results'the feed mechanism should be so constructed land operated that the material will be fed with regularity vin prescribed quantity without liability of clicking; the mechanism should be readily adjustable to vary the quantity delivered by it in a given time; readily accessible and light to drive; and in connection with systems for,transporting'orf separating solids n t y llike members ooi'istitute the end walls 'of by air circulation, the feed mechanism ,shouldbe so constructed that there will be a minimum of airleakage. i f

My .invention comprehends a `feeding mechanismwhichcombines in its structure these several desirable functions and chan acteristics, the mechanism' in accordance with my invention consisting ofI a traveling feeding, member, vpreferably in the form of a rotary feedingwheel, mounted in alhopper and containing pockets or compartments of prescribed size, which in course kOt the rotation of the wheel are one at a time filled with material from the hopper,y and the material delivered bythe wheel insuccessive` increments, the said wheel cooperating with a gatewliich ris yieldable to prevent ologging, and which may alsof bev adjustable to shown my invention-in a forni and embodiy19,17.` serial No. 171,918;

j ment especially yadapted for use in feeding the material-into theside of thegrinding chamber of apulverizing mill,but it will be understood that the invention is not' limited topsuch use, and that the construe 'tionvshown may be modified to adapt 'the samevvtor application with other types of machines without departingfrom the limit, of my4 invention. l"

In the construction shown, 'l indicates a vertical hopper ,to receive the material to be fed, which hopperis connected at its lower end to a downwardly'inclined throat 2, the lower end of which isadapted to be fas` tened around` an vopening in the side of the casing of the grindingy mill so that thematerial entering the throat from thehopper `will be directed into the mill. 3 designates s 'a' traveling feeding member in the form of la horizontal feeding wheel or drum which is provided with a.V series of *compartmentsy or pockets 4f open at lthe peripheryk of the ywheel and ofprescribed and equal size, the said `pockets in the present case being` formed rby, a series of longitudinal radial partitions o extending outwardly from the hub of the wheel, and disk-like members 6 at the opposite ends of the-wheel, which dishn the pockets. This wheel is-mounted in ther upper end of the throat vat thelower end of theV hopper where it joins the throat,

the `throat, which shaft has Xed to it outside' the hopper, a pulley or other suitable driving device 8 by 'which rotarymotion may be imparted'to the wheel in the direction'fof the arrow yin Fig. 1`from any ysuitable source ofy power.' Mounted in the hopper is,y a chute plate 9fwhich extends from near the upper endof the same'at a downward and forward slope or inclination, l

this plate constituting in eect the bottom of the hopper, and which plate,'due to its forward and downward inclination will act to direct the material in the hopper into the pockets in the feeding wheel. At its f lower end this chute plate is formed with an open recess 10 which corresponds .approximately in size and shape to the size and'sha-pe of the open end Aof the pockets, the intact portions 9 of theohute plate at the sides of the recess overlying the end walls ofthe pockets, as sliownmore particularly in Fig. 2. The rear walls of the recess extends in close proximity to the path of movement of the outer edges of the walls of the pockets, and as the advancing partitionof a pocket passes by the wall of the recess, the pocket will be gradually uncovered so that the material will How thereinto from the chute plate 9, and as the motion continues, the pocket will be fully uncovered as shown in F ig. l, and broughty in full registry with the recess inthe chute plate. lt is seen, therefore, that in the rotationof the wheel, Athe pockets will be filled' in succession by the material in the hopper, and the contents of the same will be delivered to the throat in successive i11- icrements;

The wheel in its rotation' cooperates with a cut-off device or gate l1 in the form of a verticalv plate which is mounted to yslide freely ,in avertical guide in the front wall of the hopper, the lower edge of the vertical gate extending inpclose proximity to the periphery of the wheel. At its upper end the verticalfgateiis provided with a lateral stop lug l2 which engages the upper end of the hopperwall, or an adjusting device,

and determinesl the closest operativeI rela tive position of the lower edge of the vvertical gate to the peripherycof the feeding-l` wheel. As the feedingwheel rotates,'this vertical lgate serves to control the amount of material entering the throatbelow the pockets,and^when adjusted with its loweredgeiny close proximity tothe periphery of the` wheel, as shown in Fig. l, it will act to cut oif any surplus material tending to enter the g discharge throat, thereby causing each pocket to receive and deliver to the throatwith uniformity the prescribed 'quantity of l' material. lhen, however, the verticalv gate is adjusted `with its lower edge a greater distance from the :periphery of the wheel, which adjustment -mayv -be effected by inserting beneath the-lug 12 a liner 13, lor by other suitable means, the-pockets will .be l

permitted to discharge the quantity of materialthey actually hold and alsoV an additional quantity which is superimposed abovethe pocketsand is carried along by the fric-l tion of the material and by gravity, and

thereforey a greater amount will be delivered'- by the-wheel to the throat. In this manner and by adjusting the vertical gate to different positionsrelative to the Wheel, the

amount of'materia'l delivered by the wheel*` undera given speed of rotation. may be ac. curately and effectively controlled.

By mounting the vertical gate so that 'is 'freely movable in its guide, it will act by gravity to maintain' its proper: operative position relative to the feeding wheel, and yet will readily raise to permit the passage of obstructions formed of one or more pieces which might be carried in the pockets carried'against the'lo'wer" edge' of the vertical gate andthe'v latter will be lifted as the mo,

tion of the .wheel continues, and the obstruction rwill'be v'permitted to pass` thereunder `without,interference with the rotation and the consequent clogging of the wheel.v The lifting action on the gate by the obstruction under the condition mentioned, is facilitated by the fact that the lower end of the gate is disposed forwardly of the axis oi rotationy of the wheel so that the obstruction will be carried .by the wheel ina downward path angularly related to Vthey vertical yielding i movement of the' gate, the'tendancy of the obstruction being Vthus to lift the gate ratherthen to bind the same inl its guides, which would occur if the obstruction were carried against the gatey at right angles to its lifting. movement.A

As a result of the mechanism described, the material willbe delivered by the wheel from the hopper in vuniform prescribed quantity andfin regularly' recurring successive vincrements without liabilityof clogging, and by the adjustment of/tlie'gravitating verticalgatethe quantityV delivered may be varied without changing the speed of rotation of the wheel, or the Vsize of its pockets, in order tolmeet thevarying conditions encountered in 'operation with respect totherv capacity of the mill, such as. the character of the materialbeing handled and other conditions.

The lintact portions of the chute plate or shield 9, at the sides of the recess therein, by

extending above and overlying theendsof the wheel will eectua'lly prevent t-he'fine particles of material from working around beyond the ends of tliewheelyand `due to theffactfthat the opening in the bottom of the hopper, A'through which the'mate'rial eil-'1'. ters the pockets,l is'closed atitsfour sides by the walls of the recess in the-plate@ and the'lower end of the cut-olf plate, the 'leale' age `of air into the throatfand'thence intor the' grinding chamber of the mill, is reduced to a minimum, ythisfeature of the invention beingof particularadvantage when the feed# ing mechanism is-'employedrin connection with ythe systems rfor transporting or separating. materials by air 2 suction `or pressure:

ln theaccompanying drawings and foregoing description l have disclosedmyinvem tion in the particular form and detailed con; struction which I *preferv to adopt, but it will be understood 4that various changes may be made iny thesedetails, andftvhatl the 'construction may be vvariously modified without departing from'the `limits of my invention provided the operationxissubstair' tiallylas above set forth; andit will be further understood that the invention is not limited to any particular forni or construction of the parts except in so tar as such n limitations are specified inthe claims. 'l

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: v

1.111 Combination with a hopper having,-

a rectangular discharge opening` in its bot-` tom open at its forward side, aieed wheel rotatably mounted below said openingI and provided with open pocketsv Closed at their ends by end discs on the wheel, the inner faces of which align with kthe sides ofthel discharge opening? y and an` upright gate guided vertically inthe front oi the hopper and having` its lower end arranged to close aerossthe open front oit' the ldischarge opening iii proximity to the periphery7 of the feeding wheel7` said gate being freely movable bodily in a kvertical direction to permit obstructions to pass. v

2. In a feeding mechanism thecombination of a hopper comprising opposing upright side walls, an upright front wallfand a toi'- wardly and downwardly inclined vrear wall extending between the side rwalls, and provided at its vlower end at the sides thereof with two forwardly extending substantially horizontal extensions terminating adjacent the lower end of the front wall7 whereby a discharge opening is formed in the bottom of the hopper .between said extensions and the lower ends of the front and rear wallsia feeding'y wheelprovided with open pockets and end dises closing the ends of the pockets7 said wheel being rotatably. mounted beneath the dischargeopening with its end discs extending attheunder 'sides of the said extensions, and an upright gate guided verticallyV in the 'front wall and having its lower end'v extending,` belowsaidwvall and in proximity passage rof obstructions'.

ln testimony whereof, I have a'iiXed my signature.

oiioiien FLETCHER iinnr. 

